Dinner at Dawn: How One Little Habit Saved My Sanity
Let me take you back about ten years ago. I was deep in the trenches of mum life, with my daughter Hannah, who was one year old at the time. One of my besties, who was a teacher, asked if I could watch her son every Monday, so she could work, she wanted to avoid putting him in daycare. I happily agreed – not just because I love a good favour-for-a-friend moment, but because it meant built-in playdates for Hannah and she even paid me a bit of money (side hustle idea there mums) Two kids under 3 running around? Piece of cake, right? (side note: It was not a piece of cake.) lol
One particular Monday morning, around 7:30 AM, my friend dropped him off and we were chatting as we headed to the kitchen. She placed his lunch in the fridge (like normal), and that’s when it happened. She stopped in her tracks, eyes locked onto the slow cooker bubbling away on the counter.
"Oh my gosh, Nicky, is that your dinner cooking already? At 7:30 AM? You’re amazing!"
I laughed because the look on her face was somewhere between admiration and disbelief. It was like she had just witnessed some kind of mythical creature – The Rare and Elusive Organised Mum.
But to me? It wasn’t a big deal. Dinner planning at breakfast is just... standard operating procedure. Some people think about coffee; I think about curried sausages.
Why Cook Dinner at the Crack of Dawn?
Here’s the thing – when you’ve got two toddlers running around like caffeinated squirrels, the idea of prepping dinner during the actual “dinner-making hour” feels like a scene from a disaster movie. I didn’t want to be peeling carrots with one hand while trying to stop a toddler from “redecorating” the walls with crayons.
So, by 7:30 AM, my trusty slow cooker was already on. That meant I could focus the rest of the day on being present with the kids. It was less about being super-mum and more about survival tactics.
The Habit That Stuck (And Grew)
I’ve always been the kind of person who thinks about dinner at breakfast. Maybe it’s because I’m fuelled by the haunting memory of 5 PM witching hours where the question "What’s for dinner?" feels like a personal attack.
When the kids were tiny, I realised that getting dinner sorted in the morning was the secret to saving my sanity. By the time they were napping, I could kick back with a cup of coffee and pretend I had my life together. (The pretending part is key.)
As the years passed, our family grew – and so did the headcount at our dinner table. We began hosting international students, and at one point, I found myself feeding seven children and a husband every night. That simple habit of starting dinner early became a lifesaver.
Dinner with my family and 3 of our international students.
My evening ritual was (and still is), after dinner and clean up, I pull the next day’s meat from the freezer and leave it to defrost overnight. Doin this means one less decision to make during the chaos of the following day.
The Compliment That Stuck
That little moment, that unexpected compliment from my friend, stuck with me. It was a reminder that sometimes the things we do instinctively – the little life hacks we don’t think twice about – can seem extraordinary to someone else. It made me appreciate the unique (and occasionally chaotic) way I manage motherhood.
So, to all the mums out there who have dinner cooking before most people have brushed their teeth – I see you. You’re not just organised; you’re crafting moments of peace in the future. And if you’re not quite there yet? Don’t worry. Whether you’re a slow cooker enthusiast or a “Let’s-see-what-the-freezer-holds” kind of mum, you’re doing great.
Here’s to dinner at dawn, survival strategies, and the beautiful chaos of mum life.
